Fifty Outdoor Ashcans To Be Installed At San Diego County Beaches

Dedication Time and Location: 

Monday December 1, 2008, 12:00 P.M. at Tamarack State Beach Parking Entrance

During a recent beach clean-up effort, Delinda (Dee) Forsberg, a long time Carlsbad resident and beach lover, became appalled when she picked up enough cigarette butts to fill a large kitchen trash bag at a bus stop located near the entrance of Tamarack State Beach.  Dee, a Surfrider Foundation member, took the “Hold On To Your Butt” campaign sponsored by Surfrider one step further and decided to do something more lasting. 

Dee partnered the Surfrider Foundation San Diego Chapter with California State Parks who own and operate approximately 14 miles of North County beaches.  Dee sought assistance from Surfrider to donate 50 cigarette collection containers and worked with the local California State Parks to install and maintain the long stainless steel cylindrical receptacles at state beaches and parks including Carlsbad, San Elijo, Cardiff, Seaside, and Torrey Pines beaches and parks.

Cigarette butts are the most littered item in the United States and the world. This type of litter is not just found in streets and urban settings, but typically end up on our local beaches.  The number of cigarette butts found on beaches can be overwhelming--typically accounting for nearly one in every five items collected during a beach cleanup. To make matters worse, butts are often cast onto the sidewalk and streets, and then end up in drains, which flow to streams, rivers, bays, lagoons and ultimately the ocean.

“We could not be happier with the message the ‘Hold On To Your Butts’ campaign and collection containers send to our visitors.  The containers will be placed at locations throughout the North County where millions of people access our local beaches and park areas, and provide a convenient way for everyone to do their part to keep our environment healthy and clean,” said the State Park’s Sector Superintendent Brian Ketterer.

“Without the dedication of concerned citizens, such as Dee Forsberg, State Parks would have been unable to provide such a necessary convenience or message.  The program demonstrates what one person can do to protect our environment.  We are truly grateful to Dee for her time and hard work to make this happen,” said Ketterer.

The Surfrider Foundation is a non-profit grassroots organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of our world’s oceans, waves and beaches. Founded in 1984 by a handful of visionary surfers in Malibu, California, the Surfrider Foundation now maintains over 50,000 members and 80 chapters worldwide. For an overview of the San Diego Chapter’s current programs and events, log on to our website at www.surfriderSD.org or send email to info@surfridersd.org.